Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with politics and career

Situation with work and politics

naju — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:30:39 -0800

I'll be on a work trip with my boss and some coworkers during the election tonight, and it was suggested that we all watch the results unfold at a bar somewhere. I usually avoid politics talk at work for the sake of sanity and career, and because my views may not easily fit within the big corporation I'm part of. How do I best navigate this night without anything going wrong (keeping in mind alcohol is involved)?

A year ago, I never thought that having two employers fight over me would be a bad thing...

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:18:00 -0800

I work for a non-profit. A personal friend of my boss is trying to poach me to a much better paying job in the private sector. What is the ethical way to navigate this? The organization I'm with right now is quite small (6 people) and does very important work in the community. I like my job and I really like the people I work with. I am underpaid, however. Not because I'm under-appreciated, but simply because of the realities of non-profit funding.

A couple of months ago, my boss put me in touch with a friend of hers who needed some work done on a freelance basis. My boss sang my praises to them and said to me: "Just don't let them poach you away from me."

Of course, that's exactly what's happened. A little over a week ago, the CEO of the company my boss's friend works for has approached me and asked if I would be interested in coming on full time. The number he through out as a starting point of negotiation is 150% of my current salary.

I was caught entirely off-guard by the offer and totally misplayed my hand. I said that I was intrigued, but that I had four months left in my contract with non-profit and that I am unwilling to leave them in the lurch. I suggested that I continue freelancing for them in the meantime and we revisit the idea when my contract was up. The CEO seemed fine with this idea, but realistically it seems unlikely that they will hold a position for me that long.

So now I'm considering my options.

Relevant information:

1. My written contract with the non-profit is actually up in just two months, but I have verbally agreed to extend it under the same terms for an additional two months. My boss has expressed a strong interest in keeping me on permanently beyond that and I had told her that I was interested in that as well, but that they would need to find a way to pay me more.

2. The responsibilities of the two jobs are very similar and I think I will enjoy them both equally. They're both at about the same level in terms of my career path. There is no room for advancement within the non-profit though, unless I want to take my boss's job when she retires in a couple of years. I don't.

3. I have not told my boss about the offer, and I don't imagine her friend has either.

4. I've only been with the non-profit for six months and had been unemployed for a while before that. So, if I do jump ship and the new job doesn't work out, my resume will look like a dog's breakfast.

5. Under the current arrangement of me working for the non-profit and putting in 10-15 freelance hours per week for the other company, my finances are quite stable. So, while the income bump would be nice, it's not going to make or break me.

6. One big project at the non-profit is coming to a close over the next couple of weeks, and then another large one, with a three to four month timeline is about to start. I'm supposed to be heading that project and it would cause pretty big headaches for my boss if I left in the middle of it. This is the reason for the verbal contract extension.

So, I guess my questions are:

How ethically beholden am I to my verbal agreement to stay with the non-profit for at least another four months?

Can I reapproach the CEO and let him know I might be available sooner without looking indecisive and flaky?

At what point should I let my current boss know that I am being actively recruited? I know that they can't afford to make a reasonable counter-offer

What is the career path of a school trustee?

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:55:32 -0800

What is the career path of a school trustee? I am interested in eventually becoming a school trustee. I am involved informally in my own lobbying efforts on many fronts on a number of issues. I am part of the parents-teacher committee at my child's school. I have a solid management / entrepreneurial background, but my real passion is in helping the system change and to make the system works as it is intended to do. I live in a major Canadian city where there are political parties at the school board level. What is the typical path to getting on the school board? Should I be pursuing a political party now, or going after district committee membership or is there some other means of moving up? Should I be volunteering to help one of the local school trustees? I'm not sure what would be the past way to approach this. Thanks.

(Anonymous because I don't need to have this in the archives later, for obvious reasons.)

How can I tell someone they're dressed inappropriately at work?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:35:13 -0800

An intern at work is dressing very inappropriately. Is there any way I can tell her nicely to tone it down? I'm a male attorney at a law firm. We have a law clerk who's been with us since January and is a 2nd year law student. Since the beginning, she wears tops that plung down her neckline and put her breasts on display. I'm not a prude and I think a little cleavage is fun for everyone. But, this girl is taking it a bit far.

Since she's started working with us, she's always wortn tops that show a lot more cleavage than is work appropriate. It's gotten to where when I have a research assignment for her, I have to concentrate on her face rather than her breasts. The other associates (especially the females) have been making very disparaging comments about her lately, and I feel bad for her.

I wish I could go to the managing partner, but he's a perv and would probably prefer it if the clerk came in topless every day.

Is there a diplomatic way I can speak to this clerk and let her know that her attire isn't work appropriate?

How can I be like C.J. Cregg?

themaskedwonder — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:46:36 -0800

Maybe it's just the miniature Aaron Sorkin in my head talking, but with the advent of the Obama administration and all, I think it might be cool to try to get a stint as a communications aide/press officer or speechwriter with some kind of progressive campaign or Democratic congressperson. How does someone go about this sort of thing? I'm guessing it helps to have a background in journalism, but is it really all about insider connections?

If it helps, I'm a humanities major at a pretty good liberal arts school (I have a background in PR and performing arts, not so much journalism).

Corporate Rockstar

jasondigitized — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:31:54 -0800

How do I become a cubicle king and a boardroom baron? How do I become a corporate rockstar? I am in a typical corporate office environment and am wondering why certain people climb the corporate ladder and others do not. What techniques and tactics have you personally applied to move ahead? I am looking for things related to work ethic, communication, self-promotion, appearance, relationships, use of technology, methodology, GTD, etc. Do you send emails late at night to appear to be working late? Do you suck-up to the CEO's personal assistant? Or do you simply work your ass off and get sh*t done? Take me from the mailroom to the boardroom.

Making money in politics (without being corrupt)

DetonatedManiac — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:30:59 -0800

Is it possible to make a decent, relatively steady living in (liberal to center left) politics in Raleigh NC? If so what job(s) should I start looking for? I have been employed as a paid staffer on a Congressional Campaign and a volunteer, and I have also been a delegate to the DNC in Boston (so technically held an elected office :) ). I know what phone banking is like and door to door sales (political and commercial). But I know that all of these are low level and ephemeral jobs which is why I didn't pursue politics as a career after College.

Now I am re-thinking. I really enjoy politics but I don't know where, or if, I can get a "reliable" job that pays the rent even in non-election years. Ideally it would be a "normal" 9-5 office job, but realistically I'll take whatever I can get. It MUST NOT be primarily commission driven and it also must have some opportunity for advancement.

I currently live in Raleigh NC and while in the long term I have no problem moving to DC, right now I have to settle for my State's Capitol.

I am especially interested in the Environment and Anti-Cooperate/Pro-Consumer causes, but am interested in almost all left of center causes.

I imagine there must be something like lobbying or congressional aide that intersects more with the day to day running of government and not just elections.... But what are these jobs and How do I go about getting them?

Thanks Hive Mind!

(Note: my former political activity was all in Colorado, where I went to school, not here in NC. So any contacts in the NC Dem Party establishment are also appreciated)

Am I a Union man?

jlowen — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:56:30 -0800

I've been offered a job as the political director of a regional labor federation. Should I take it? I currently work as the director of organizing at a small non-profit where I organize youth to push for school and community reform. I've been there 5 years and have a lot of respect and success at it. I am very happy with where I am now, but am always keeping a look out for new opportunities and challenges.

Today I was offered a job as the Political Director of a regional labor federation representing several unions and about 30,000 union members. The compensation package would be a good raise from my current level, and the Board of Directors (who would be my boss) seems to want to give me a lot of flexibility to shape the job into whatever I want. It seems like a great next step in my career.

All my organizing experience has been in communities, and I have no real exposure to the ins and outs of union politics. Does anyone have any experience with similar jobs? What might I encounter? What should I consider before I take the job?

Running for Office

scarabic — Sat, 09 Oct 2004 22:14:36 -0800

I had a wild idea today. I'm pondering several career moves, mulling over various choices. Suddenly I thought: hey, what about politics/civic office?

Suggestions?